A new contemporary hip-hop radio station launches in the Twin Cities today.
 
At 3 p.m., the 95.3 FM frequency (KNOF) switches from a Christian format under the name PraiseFM to Go 95.3 and follow the lead of its modern-alternative-rock sister station, Go 96.3, by playing a mix of chart-toppers, indie acts and Twin Cities local artists.
 
“Most of the time, rhythmic stations lean urban…and the kinda sing-y, poppy rap songs, then they’ll play the hard stuff,” Go 95.3 chief music director Peter Parker told CityPages. “Where we’re changing the game kind of is, we’re a traditional rhythmic station, but we’re leaning backpack, boom-bap, indie hip hop.”
 
TCB broke the news of Pohlad family-owned Go Media’s $8 million purchase of the station this past September. At the time, there was speculation that the company would move its Twins broadcasts off its 96.3 (KTWN) which dominates the airwaves and interrupts music throughout the summer. But the Star Tribune reports that baseball will remain on 96.3.
 
While PraiseFM is leaving the 95.3 frequency, the station isn’t going away. Instead, it’s going digital: Praise will move to 96.3-2 HD station. To ease the transition, Praise told TCB and its listeners that it would use some of the money from the frequency purchase to help people buy HD radio receivers.
 
Pohlad’s Go Media (formerly Northern Lights Broadcasting) saw many changes in 2015. In January, the company switched its 96.3 frequency to the modern alternative format. In late 2015, the company purchased Rick Kupchella’s BringMeTheNews.